<p>i am looking into the illinois institute of technology for a major in mechanical engineering. my first choice school is UofM, which i should have no problem getting into. For a little background, i am 5th in my class with a 3.96gpa, have a 31 on the act, am lacking in extracurriculars, but have enough to get by, and i am the student body vice president. </p>
<p>my real issue is that i am unable to tell if the illinois institute of technology is a reputable school for a career in mechanical engineering. i would really like to be in the chicago area for personal reasons, but am unsure if there is any way to stay in chicago while going to a good school for engineering. any advice or info about the illinois institute of technology would be greatly appreciated, and also remember that for me, a great school is UofM, good is say Purdue, acceptable is probly Michigan State. </p>
<p>Illinois Institute of Technology is indeed a very reputable school. Your scale is a little imprecise but certainly it's at least "acceptable". If you want to consider it I might recommend visiting to confirm that the campus environment is also acceptable to you.</p>
<p>Treetopleaf meant the University of Illinois at Chicago, which is a very respectable school that ranks within the Top 57-60. UIC would be the next public school students consider if they can't get into UIUC and/or want to stay in/near Chicago.</p>
<p>My mom told me the area around UIC isn't that good. She told me this story about when she used to live in Chicago. She said that a student that went to UIC called the campus police for an escort to her dorm room, and when they showed up and took her to her dorm room. She was still outside and hadn't walked in when they left, but the next morning she was found dead outside.</p>
<p>On the other hand, IIT is near a new a police station. I liked IIT when I went there, and you really don't need to walk outside of campus to go anywhere, because there is a subway stop on campus. Downtown isn't that far away. Also, with your grades and act score you can expect to get a lot of money from IIT. Heck, my grades sucked compared to yours and I still got $10,200/year. I was probably ranked in the bottom half of my class. IIT was the only school that gave me anything and I didn't even apply for financial aid.</p>
<p>The neighborhood around IIT is a little iffy but changing. The neighborhood your mom remembers around UIC is essentially gone as it is now one of the prime development areas of the city for condo conversions, new condos/townhomes, new restaurants, stores, etc.</p>
<p>Yeah, IIT has a pretty good reputation when it comes to Mechanical engineering, especially if you want a mechanical engineering job in the Chicago land or Illinois area. In addition you'll get plenty of money with your stats, at least a half to 3/4 scholarship. The campus itself is pretty safe and the surrounding area is changing, especially the southside of campus. Beyond that make sure what ever school you choose is a fit for you. IIT has a very 'tech school' culture, meaning lots of work but you'll be surrounded by many like minded people (ie engineers). Also most of your fun will probably be off campus via jumping on the EL with a group of friends a direct contrast to UIC or UIUC where most of the fun is on campus.</p>
<p>"Treetopleaf meant the University of Illinois at Chicago, which is a very respectable school that ranks within the Top 57-60. UIC would be the next public school students consider if they can’t get into UIUC and/or want to stay in/near Chicago. "</p>
<p>Top 57-60 National Universities? I dont think that’s right…</p>
<p>But judging from your stats, UIUC wouldn’t be a reach for you and it’s one of the best engineering colleges in the nation - especially for Mechanical Engineering…</p>
<p>Regarding the area, its much safer than Chicago, its in a nice quaint, if a little boring, college town.</p>
<p>I would like to bring you up to date on those who contributed on this thread since updated in late 2008:</p>
<p>*collegecrisis decided to attend UIC and became a very successful mechanical engineer.
*weldon has left behind the days giving witty advise on CollegeConfidential.com and has pursued a more lucrative career in show business. You might know him by his fictional name “Don Drapper” on the highly-acclaimed series Mad Men.
*Feez has made enormous strides distinguishing UIC from UIUC.
*ElectricTech faced criticism after that comment about UIC being in the Top 57-60. He redeemed himself after publishing his memoirs, “ElectricTech: My life among the Top 57-60”. It was shortlisted for the PEN/Faulker prize and the Pulitzer Prize for Non-fiction.
*broken<em>symlink’s tragic story was bought by a major film studio and is in post-production phase. Leading actors include, Naomi Watts as the lady who was murdered and Daniel Day-Lewis as the detective investigating it. It will be directed by David Lynch.
*drusba received a call from broken</em>symlink’s mother asking why he openly contradicted her on an public forum calling it “uncalled for” and describing the condos around UIC as “a attack on tasteful urban development” and “a disgrace to Western civilization in general”.[1]</p>
<p>Source:
[1] Symlink, Brokenm; et al. “Gentrification in America: The hideous condos surrounding University of Illinois-Chicago”. University of Illinois Press. Champaign, IL. 2009. ISBN 11098390289. doi:12.1116/j.iheduc.2003.11.004.</p>
<p>Lol do people really think UIC is in a bad neighborhood? How sheltered do you have to be to even think this? University Village/Little Italy is one of the nicest neighborhoods on the South Side. And IIT is in a worse neighborhood than UIC; that area was lined with project buildings a few years ago.</p>